Main opposition leader to PM: Don’t be ineffective

ANKARA

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has slammed Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım for being ineffective and easily influenced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 

“Why is the Prime Ministry being removed with the constitutional changes?” Kılıçdaroğlu told Doğan News Agency in an interview on Feb. 23. 

“The government argues that there will be a double power. But there is no such thing in Turkey. Mr. Binali either does not have enough power or the capacity to object to Erdoğan’s words,” he said. 

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) argues that the current executive system is futile, saying that the principles of the separation of powers do not work effectively because the president is elected by the public and creates clashing interests between executive powers.  Kılıçdaroğlu said the root problem was the “president’s excessive power.”

“There are no double heads. On the contrary, there is only one head. The problem is that one person interferes with another person’s field of duty,” he said, calling on Yıldırım to be more effective. 

“All authority cannot be gathered under one person’s control. There are no such examples in Turkey’s history. In the existing examples, it has brought disaster to those societies. The most typical example of this is Hitler and Mussolini,” he added. 


Deputies visit minority representatives

CHP Istanbul deputies Selina Doğan and Şafak Pavey have paid a visit to the heads of minority foundations and representatives of different faith groups in Istanbul as part of referendum campaigns.

“Minorities can sustain their existence in a country where social peace prevails and laws strengthen the chance of living together. This constitutional amendment, on the other hand, does not include anyone, even during the preparatory period, but instead divides the society into camps and causes great tension,” Doğan said Feb. 24.